CNOOC starting oil production at Beibu Gulf fields

China National Offshore Oil Corp. has started production from two development wells on the Weizhou 6-12 wellhead platform in the former Block 22/12 area in Beibu Gulf offshore China and plans to ultimately have 10 wells producing.

The A5H and A2 wells are on production. The HYSY 931 jack up will drill the A8, A9, and A10 development wells and will also equip the A6 and A7 wells, drilled in late 2012, for production, said Roc Oil (China) Co., Sydney.

By comparison, the original development plan called for drilling five total wells from the platform. The jack up is expected to move to the WZ 12-8 West wellhead platform for the final phase of development drilling in the third quarter.

Roc Oil took a farmout on Block 22/12 in 2002 and drilled oil discoveries in 2002 and 2006. Proved and probable reserves are 24 million bbl. Oil will be produced to shore by way of CNOOC’s Weizhou 12-1 field platform a few kilometers to the west.